Foodie Tour Vietnam 12 Days

The colonial capital city of Hanoi is a unique Asian city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes, pagodas and temples. This morning tour takes you around Hanoi's most interesting sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex: Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and his Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the nearby Old Quarter, also known for its 36 streets and former craft guilds. Lunch at Cha Ca La Vong restaurant.

In the afternoon, take part in a hands-on cooking class in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Visit a neighborhood ‘wet’ market to learn about Vietnamese ingredients before proceeding to the home of a true Hanoian. After visiting a local market to buy the day’s ingredients, learn how to prepare and cook true northern Vietnamese cuisine before sitting down to enjoy a delectable meal. Overnight in Hanoi.

After your breakfast, you will head to Halong Bay, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO since 1994 and 2006, and check-in our overnight boat. Enjoy a trip on Halong with stops to visit caves or to swim and enjoy the sunset on the sea. Dinner with fresh seafood! Overnight onboard.

The Vietnamese call the “East Sea” by a point-oriented name “Eastern Sea”, so you may guess how miraculous it is seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. The boat will take us to go about marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent, including the Fisherman’s Head, Turtle, the Sail, the Incense Burner Rock, the cute Sea Dog Rock or Cock Fighting Rocks and so on. Optional to do kayaking or visiting some floating villages (subject to each cruise itinerary and weather). After seafood brunch, disembark the cruise about lunch time and take 3 hour drive to Hanoi Airport where you take onward flight to Hue. 

Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle as well as haute-coulter royal cuisine. We will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City, Hue Royal Museum. Then Escape from the busy city of Hue to Hue Inside Out, a quiet and beautiful spot on the perfume river. Enjoy the cool breeze and the stunning view of the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda overlooking the garden in this new yet vintage style cooking school. You will have opportunity to admire how much effort and dedication the local chef has put on each royal dish to make it not only delicious but also gorgeous through detailed carving and gentle decoration. Finally, pay a visit to the tomb of the former emperor Tu Duc which is located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to the ancient port town of Hoi An. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of the ancient city remains wholly untouched. Passing through Danang, visit its notable Cham Museum, before climbing over the ‘Pass of Ocean Clouds’. Arrive in Hoi An  late in the afternoon and transfer to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Meet with a local foodie for a visit to a local market in Hoi An to enjoy the tantalizing sights, smells and flavors of local produce. Then walk through zigzagging alleys to savor real street food as the local people do. Gather at a local restaurant and meet with the culinary expert, Neville Dean, chat with him to understand his passion for food and experience the local culture through the eyes of an expatriate. Taste some more traditional central dishes and learn more about this fascinating region.

The balance of the day is free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Meals on your own. Rree at leisure to explore some signature dishes of Hoi An ie: “Cao Lau” noodle, “My Quang” Noodle, chicken rice, white rose, coin bag, or the world best “banh mi” – break- Banh mi Phuong… If you are seafood lover, go to Cua Dai Beach and there is plenty choice of fresh seafood for you.

 Overnight at the hotel.

Free at your leisure till transfer to Danang Airport to take the midday flight to Saigon. You will be welcomed at the Tan Son Nhat airport and transfer to the hotel to check-in.  Spend the rest of the day free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

We will pick you up at your hotel at 7:00 and then transfer you to Bach Dang Pier where you will embark on a luxury speedboat heading towards Cu Chi Tunnels. While the boat is cruising through the original landscapes along Saigon riverbanks, you will be served with fresh seasonal fruits and soft drinks and observe the local life style of Saigonese.

Arriving at Cu Chi Tunnels (Dinh Pier), a documentary film about the tunnels during the war time will be introduced first.

Afterwards, we will have a short walk into the jungle to visit the traps, the secret entrance, the bunkers and the underground hideouts. There offers you a special and fantastic chance to relax with shooting real guns and real bullets at the riffle range as well as to witness the rice-paper (spring roll skin) making. You can even try to crawl into the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Take a rest with green tea and tapioca, the main food served during the war time, to learn more about the life of Viet Cong in the war.

Saying goodbye to the historic land before having traditional Vietnamese lunch in the romantic riverside restaurant on the way back. Then return to your hotel. The balance of the day is free at your leisure. Dinner is on your own. 

After your breakfast, depart to Ben Tre. While there, you can take a walk along the waterfront, lined with French era shops and houses, and you'll see plenty of coconuts being unloaded from boats for dispatch around the country. Then, jump on a boat for a couple of hours of cruising on the Mekong River. You will enjoy your delicious lunch at a local restaurant or on board.

After that, head to Le Jardin du Mekong for overnight. The cottages of The Jardin du Mekong is situated in the Mekong delta in the province of Ben Tre, about 120km to the South of Saigon.The Jardin du Mekong welcomes you with a stage of relaxation, rest, authenticity in respect of the Vietnamese traditions and in a family atmosphere with the local people.

The cottage is composed of 9 bungalows made of woods situated in the centre of a luxury garden, fruit trees, flowers and a small pond with lily pad and lotus. Your meals are served in the charming spaces installed in these gardens. These cottages are proposed with the fun activities in connection with the nature. 

Wake up and start riding bicycles in the early morning. During one and a half hour ride, we pass by duck farm, fruit garden, rice paddy and sedge field. You have an opportunity to meet locals and talk with them and learn to do what they are doing on their fields or their works.

After that, return to La Jardin du Mekong for breakfast. After short break, you will be then invited in Vietnamese cooking class in a traditional and family place. Food is one of the best ways to understand a culture. Thanks to these, tourists could participate in making good dishes with locals to learn about Vietnamese culture and cuisines while making good food yourself. It's a way of experiencing Vietnamese life.

Finally, return to Ho Chi Minh City. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

There is no activity planned for today so you are free to enjoy your free time souvenir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.